Stuffing box casing head



Oct. Y15, 1935.

C. C. HEETER STUFFING BOX CASING HEAD 'Filed May 1G, 1953 ICT NNN NN H.,.MUWHH Hw w y INVC'ENTOR 47%@ ,I .um f

Patented oer. 15,1"1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

My invention relates to a stuiiing-box casing head, in particular, to acasing head for gas wells.

Several types of stumng-box casing heads have been known heretoforeclosing the space between the upper end of an outer well casing and aninner. casing. The'most commontype of prior art head is that embodyingsplit cast iron construction.l The installation of this type of casinghead involves practically no1 dlfdculty. After the inner casing islowered to the desired depth, the casing head is merely placed aroundthe two casings and bolted together, while the inner casing is eithersuspended by the elevators or is permittedto restonthe bottom of thewell. The objections to this type of head, however, are that it is veryheavy, quite costly, and involves some diiiiculty in assembly, sirceithetwo parts of the split head must be accurately alined prior toacterizedby ample strength for all practical pur-- poses andby a weight and costmuch less than those of the older type of split cast iron head.

'I'he usual` method of using the steel head is to lower the inner casinginto the outer casing, rest it on the bottom-of the well, disconnect theelevators from the inner casing. and attach the tubular casing head tothe outer casing. The suspension for the inner casing is then reattachedtothe elevators and the inner casing raised to the desired level beforethe space between the inner casing and the outer casing is finallyclosed by a' packing gland\ j The tubular steel casing head has proved-quite satisfactory for certain installations.

increasing depth of present day wells, however,

it has become impractical to use this type of .cas-

ing head rbecause it is not safe to rest the long .h after the innercasing has been lowered.

I have invented a tubular steel casing head designed particularlyfordeep wells where the inner casing must be permanently suspended. Inaccordance with my invention, I provide a tubu- With the I 4forattachment to the-upper end of the outer casing. A- gasket-compressingring is threaded on to the upper end of the head. The head is attachedto the outer casing before the inner casing is lowered and theinnercasing descends l5 throughthe casing head and gasket-compressing ring.After the inner casing has been lowered to the desired depth, thegasket-compressing ring is removed and split packing elements aredisposed about the inner casing within the cas- 10 ing head. As thegasket-compressing ring is screwed home, the packing is compressed intoAengagement with the inner casing.

For a complete understanding of the invention. reference is made to theaccompanying drawing 16 illustrating a present preferred embodiment. Inthe drawing: v

Figure 1 isea vertical, `axial, sectional view showing the parts of thepacking gland in spaced relation in order of their application to 4thecas- 20" ving head;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in assembled relation;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the packingA elements; and j 25 Figure4 is a similar view of another oi' the packing elements. Referring nowin detail to the drawing, the invention comprises a short sectionofsteel tube 1u having its ends threaded as at 1| and 12. The S0 f der IIiprovides a seat for a split two-part. gasket- 0' supporting ring I1. Acompressible gasket ring I8 is adapted to rest on' the ring I 1. A splitgland ring I9 is provided for applying downward pres-` sure to thegasket ring to compress the latter and cause it to engage an innercasing indicated at 20 to form a gasket-tight joint therewith. The glandring has an out-turned ila'nge or shoulder 2| adjacent its upper edgewhich overhangs the upper end of the Vtube I0 when in position thereon.A gasket-compressing ring, 22 is threaded 50 l internally forcooperation with the threaded upper end II of the tube IU. lI he ring 22has an inturned shoulder or ange 23 adjacent Vits upper -lar steelcasing head` having a port intermediate f end. The shoulder2.3.overhangs the shoulder 2| its ends, the lowerl end of the head beingadaptedoI.' the gland ring andthe upper end of the tube `lli .whenscrewed. thereon. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate one half of the split glandringand gasket-supporting ring.

It will be apparent that when the parts are in the position shown inFigure 2, the gasket-compressing ring 22, on being screwed home, by theengagement of the flanges 2i and 23, causes'the gland ring I9 to exertsuflicient pressure on the gasket I8 to force the latter into closecontact with the periphery of the inner casing 20.

In the application of the device, the tube III is first attached to thetop of the outer`casing I3 and the ring 22 is partially screwed on tothe upper end, -as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the gasket, itssupporting ring and the gland ring being-removed. The inner casing 20 isthen lowered through the ring 22 and the tube I0 to the desired depth,being supported by the elevators at all times. When the inner casing hasbeen properly positioned, the ring 22 is unscrewed and raisedsufficiently to permit introduction of the two halves of thegasket-supporting ring II.- The halves of the ring II have an external,peripheral groove therein. After the two halves have been pressedtogether abutting the inner casing, they may be heldin assembledrelation by tying a cord therearound, the cord lying in the external,peripheral groove. When the ring I1 is properly seated on the internal,annular shoulder I6 adjacent the upper end of the tube I0, the gasketring 4I8 is placed thereon. The two halves of the gland ring are thenplaced on `the gasket ring. The ring 22 is lowered and screwed on to theupper end o f the tube I0. As previously explained, the engagement ofthe intumed flange 23 on the ring 22 with the out-turned flange 2| onthe ring I9, forces the latter into engagement with the gasket as thering 22 is screwed home, to compress the gasket into gasket-tightengagement with the inner casing 20.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention ischaracterized by numerous advantages over the stufling-box casing thedesirable characteristics of previous tubular steel casing heads inAthat it is light in weight and low in cost compared to the old splittype of cast iron head. It has the further advantage that the innercasing string need not be rested on the bottom of the well to permit theapplication of the head to the outer casing. As already pointed out,this is of great importance in view of the increasing depth to whichwells are being drilled,

and the fact that it is not safe to rest the entire 5 weight of theinner casing string on the lower sections thereof. The invention,therefore, is applicable in many cases where the previous structurescould not be used.

Although I have illustrated and described herein but one preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that changes in theconstruction disclosed may be made without depart g from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope f the appended claims. i5

I claim: A

1. In a casing head, a. tubular section adap d to make threadedconnection with an outer casing, and dimensioned to receive a Suspendedinner casing string with its couplings, a gasket adapted 20 to seat inthe head, a gland adapted to engage the gasket, said gasket and glandbeing split to permit their installation while maintaining the innercasing suspended, and. a clamping ring engaging the gland and threadedontothe section, 25 the gasket and the gland having inside diameterssufllcient to pass said inner casing land its couplings.

2. A stuffing-box casing head comprising a tube having a. portintermediate its ends, the lower end of the tube having means forattachment to an outer well casing, a gasket-support- A ing ring seatedwithin the tube, means projecting inwardly of the tube for supportingthe ring therein, a gasket positioned on the ring, a.l gland ringsuperposed on the gasket and having means projecting outwardly thereof,and a gasket-compressing ring screwed directly onto the upper end of thetube, the gasket-compressing ring having means projecting inwardly forengaging the out.- wardly projecting means on the gland ring for forcingthe latter against the gasket as the gas-l ket-compressing ring isscrewed ontothe tube. heads known to the prior art. The invention has*to cause the gasket to engage an inner wellcasing extending through thetube, said gland ring being of suflicient-diameter to pas; said innercasing and its couplings.

COLONEL C. HEETER.

